| President John F. Kennedy once said about planning | | | | staffing, media, and shelved media at the |
| that, "The time to repair the roof is when the sun is | | | | headquarters. A second-site location, which would |
| shining." | | | | house the data tapes, requires hardware, software, |
| Businesses small and large can take a cue from that | | | | support, staffing and communications, as well. All of |
| line in regards to their data backup recovery plans. | | | | these factors equate to a very large TCO for a |
| For example, if many businesses affected by the | | | | company trying to implement a tape backup solution. |
| Hurricane Katrina disaster last year had planned a | | | | The remote backup service provider eliminates the |
| remote data backup recovery strategy well | | | | need for media and shelved media, and greatly |
| beforehand, they might still be in business or well | | | | reduces staffing costs. No longer does a business |
| back on track. | | | | have to hire personnel (typically non-Information |
| To take Kennedy's quote one step further, | | | | Technology people) to maintain and operate the |
| businesses need to "repair the roof" with the right | | | | media and transport the tapes. |
| materials, not unreliable tools that do not make sense | | | | These cutbacks can save businesses up to 70 |
| logistically or financially. | | | | percent of its costs, according to some market |
| A backup service provider offers a fully managed | | | | studies, and eliminate the probability of human error. |
| offsite backup service that allows you to store a | | | | Another consideration is longevity of tape backup. |
| copy of your backup locally on your LAN for added | | | | Tapes have a definite limited lifespan, whereas a |
| efficiency. This type of managed backup is the | | | | remote data backup recovery provider lasts as long |
| answer to the needs of all businesses that require | | | | as you want. A tape itself has an average cost of |
| fast and effective restores of data when the sun is | | | | $50, and depending on its frequency of use, it can |
| not shining. | | | | have a lifespan anywhere from three months to |
| You may ask: Why not use tapes? After all, they've | | | | three years. And don't forget the tape drive must be |
| been around about as long as data backup. | | | | replaced after extended use. That's another $5,000 |
| Studies show that tape-based recovery methods are | | | | or so for a non-permanent backup solution. |
| not cost-effective and are prone to complications or | | | | Time is money, and the timeliness of the remote |
| outright failure. Remote data backup recovery | | | | data backup recovery service provides will save any |
| services, on the other hand, have proven to be | | | | business money. The need to wait for tapes stored |
| faster, more cost worthy, secure, flexible and reliable | | | | off-site, or even for tapes to be retrieved and be |
| Another reason for not using tape-backup is the | | | | manageable on-site, will be eliminated. |
| probability for human error in the rotation and | | | | By using a remote data backup recovery provider, |
| transportation of the tapes. | | | | businesses will be afforded considerable recovery |
| Consider the following horror story involving a | | | | advantages such as simultaneous multiple operations |
| Connecticut bank that occurred in January. | | | | like reads and writes, faster access and granular |
| A tape containing personal data about 90,000 | | | | recovery options instead of scanning through tapes. |
| customers of People's Bank in Bridgeport, Conn., was | | | | This leads to another issue which businesses must |
| lost in transit. The tape contained information such as | | | | again plan for when the sun is shining. In the case of |
| names, addresses, Social Security numbers and | | | | databases with high availability - meaning any number |
| checking account numbers. It was bound for a credit | | | | of employees can access them - it is incumbent of |
| reporting bureau in Pennsylvania via the United Parcel | | | | any business to plan for the possibility of the data |
| Service. Such an event can have devastating | | | | becoming corrupted because of human error or, |
| consequences for not only the company, but for all | | | | unfortunately, a potentially disgruntled employee. |
| of the innocent customers whose information was | | | | If the database must be restored from an earlier day |
| lost. | | | | or two, it will be faster and more efficient using a |
| As another example, The Privacy Rights | | | | remote data backup recovery provider rather than |
| Clearinghouse, based in San Diego, reports that the | | | | the slower process of tape retrieval. |
| loss of computer data backup tapes by Bank of | | | | Some of the other tangible benefits provided by a |
| America in 2005 affected 1.2 million customers. | | | | secure automated data backup recovery plan include |
| Service providers offer a multi-faceted secure data | | | | the availability of experts who monitor the |
| protection solution. Their remote data backup | | | | sophisticated software, technology that supports |
| recovery service which helps prevent risks of loss | | | | many operating systems and platforms, payment |
| from theft, misplacement, hardware failure, malicious | | | | based on usage (not a set fee), and disaster |
| attacks or human error. Through a remote data | | | | recovery assistance. |
| backup recovery provider, the data is automatically | | | | In summary, the time is definitely when the sun is |
| compressed, encrypted and transmitted to a highly | | | | shining on any business - large or small - to have a |
| secure data center. | | | | sound backup and recovery plan. For almost any |
| The total cost of ownership (TCO) of tapes vs. a | | | | business, that time is right now. If the sun is not |
| remote data backup recovery service provider is | | | | shining, it is best to have the umbrella of remote |
| another factor that can be very telling for business | | | | data backup service provider to return to normal |
| of all sizes. | | | | business operations. Using tapes as a recovery plan |
| Using a large enterprise model, overall tape backup | | | | will make it more difficult and expensive for any |
| costs are affected by hardware, software, support, | | | | business to get through a rainy day. |